was Beth the worst mother ever??

No, but far from the best of course.

I think Andrea Yates would win that title.

But yes, she was horrible. You lose one son tragically and you could have lost the other and it still does not move you to be caring or loving.

I think she's up there.

You could tell from her body lanuage how much she hates just been around Conrad, some parents out there that favour a child over their other siblings to the point they'll push aside the others and focus on that one sibling. It's a horrible thing to say but she would have been happy if Conrad lost his life from suicide attempt and her and Calvin could have lived out their "perfect" life together on their own. The fact she never visited Conrad when he was psychiatric hospital and went on holiday is so cruel and heartless tells you all you need to know. And the fact Conrad tells his father that Beth hates him is heartbreaking.

I don't know. If she hadn't lost a son, she wouldn't have become the person she was...so you at least have to sympathize with her a little bit.

No. That's the easy answer. People should search out interviews on Mary Tyler Moore in which she discussed this role. She was always surprised when people asked her how she could play such a "bitch." In her eyes, Beth was not a bitch or even a bad mother. She was damaged. She had limitations. I think Mary's interpretation of the character she played was the correct one.

Having grown up on the North Shore of Chicago not so long after Ordinary People was made, I met many mothers like Beth. She's not the "worst mother ever." She was jolted out of her perfect life through gut-wrenching tragedy. Some people can adapt after these sorts of calamities occur (i.e., Calvin); others take longer to deal with their grief (i.e., Conrad). Still, others may never adapt or evolve after these horrific events (i.e., Beth). It doesn't make them 'bad' people, only 'ordinary' people.